Former Governor of Kano State and immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has condemned as reckless, baseless, and a sign of desperation the call by the Kano State Government for his arrest over alleged comments linked to the establishment of a militia group.
Reacting in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, Ganduje said the demand for his arrest exposes what he described as Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s “incompetence and inability to confront the real security challenges facing the state.”
According to him, the allegation is unfounded and represents an attempt by the current administration to divert public attention from its failure to secure lives and property.
“It is deeply unfortunate that rather than addressing the escalating insecurity ravaging Kano, Governor Yusuf has chosen to chase shadows and search for scapegoats to conceal his glaring failures,” Ganduje said.
“At a time when communities such as Bagwai, Shanono, Tsanyawa and other affected areas are living in fear, the governor has neither visited nor shown empathy. His absence in moments that demand leadership speaks volumes of his disconnect from the people he claims to serve.”
Ganduje stressed that he has never been associated with violence or linked to any act capable of undermining the peace and stability of Kano State.
He added that during his eight-year administration, the state enjoyed an enviable period of peace and security, earning national commendation.
He accused the Yusuf administration of resorting to “political theatrics, baseless allegations, and media drama” instead of providing real security solutions to the people.
Ganduje insisted that leadership should be demonstrated through “purposeful action, responsibility, and compassion,” not through “press conferences and frivolous statements aimed at diverting public attention from persistent failures.”
The political storm follows a period of heightened insecurity in Kano’s northern border communities, including Shanono, Tsanyawa, and Bagwai, where armed bandits have launched repeated attacks. Villages have been raided, residents killed, families abducted, and livestock stolen — triggering widespread fear and calls for urgent government intervention.
The Kano State House of Assembly recently passed resolutions urging stronger security deployments as the attacks intensified.
Amid this tension, Ganduje made remarks interpreted by the state government as proposing the recruitment of 12,000 youths into a faith-based security outfit reportedly named Khairul Nas. The government alleged the comment amounted to an attempt to form an illegal militia.
Officials claimed the remarks were “inciting, reckless, and capable of undermining ongoing security efforts,” noting that within 48 hours of the comment, suspected bandits launched another attack, a coincidence they described as “disturbing.”
Following a State Executive Council meeting on November 28, 2025, the Kano State Government formally called on security agencies to arrest and investigate Ganduje over the alleged militia plot.
The former governor has firmly rejected the allegations, maintaining that the government is merely weaponizing insecurity to persecute political opponents.
